Palestinian militants kill cousin of Arafat

September 08, 2005|By Chicago Tribune.

JERUSALEM — Masked gunmen firing assault rifles and anti-tank grenades stormed the home of the former security chief in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, then dragged him out and shot him to death in the street.

The killing in Gaza City of Musa Arafat, 65, a cousin of Yasser Arafat, the late Palestinian leader, came days before a planned Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, raising concerns about the Palestinian Authority's ability to keep order and control armed factions when it takes over areas vacated by the Israelis.

Arafat, a military adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was the most senior figure killed in factional fighting among Palestinians. His oldest son, Manhal, was abducted by the gunmen.

The Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition of militants formerly from the mainstream Fatah group and from Hamas, said it killed Arafat as punishment for his alleged corruption and his policies as security chief and head of military intelligence.